


True Love's Kiss

by amitiel



Category: FFXV - Fandom, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Curse Breaking, Fairy Tale Elements, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Gay, Love and Loss, M/M, True Love's Kiss, Whimsical, Whimsy, curse, fairy tale, fairy tale AU, mermaid, mermaid au, merman, merman au, spell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23148340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitiel/pseuds/amitiel
Summary: Noctis is a prince in a fairy tale realm where he finds a perfect fishing spot that is quiet and unassuming.There he encounters a young man, Prompto, who has been cursed. Can he help him break the curse? Or will he end up more broken as a result of his attempts to help the poor, unfortunate soul?This was based on a prompt given to me by InsomnianRedMuse and turned into a longer response than anticipated, so on here it goes! I hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Iedolas Aldercapt & Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 11
Kudos: 57





	True Love's Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsomnianRedMuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsomnianRedMuse/gifts).



Noctis found the fishing spot one day when he was looking for a place to be alone. It was an inlet that sat abandoned, save for the small fishing dock that was in relatively good condition. Tall, lush grasses surrounded the dock, and the deep blue water was pristine but not visible more than a foot down. It was quiet, peaceful, and a surefire way for Noctis to finally get some much needed alone time. His father could trust that if he was at the inlet then he was safe, and it was one of the few times that he was okay to be on his own. So he plopped down on the dock, his feet dangling off the side, his line cast into the water.

The first few days he visited, Noctis caught a few fish and was relatively happy with his progress. After then, he had gotten used to taking naps between catches, the sunlight lulling him to a deep sleep as the call of cicadas in the wild rhythmically keeping him under. When he woke the first few times, he felt dreamily comfortable. But one day he felt a shadow pass over his eyes and awoke from it, only to hear the splash of someone, or something, jumping into the water quickly. He felt unsettled, unnerved, his pulse racing. But if someone was there, he was determined to discover who it was.

The next day, Noctis showed up as normal, started fishing, and pretended to fall asleep. When the shadow passed over his face, he opened his eyes quickly and reached out, grabbing the person’s wrist as he sat up suddenly. Noctis wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a golden-haired, violet-blue eyed young man with freckles that looked like kisses from the stars. Shocked, he let the young man go, who fell backwards into the water.

Noctis thought he had hurt him, especially when he didn’t come up for air. He waited with bated breath, then felt a sense of dread in his heart when he thought about how he had accidentally killed someone. Destroyed, he made his way back to the palace on his own and cried, until he decided the next morning that he would go down and confirm it wasn’t just some sort of fever dream. Either he was hallucinating or there really was a young man there.

When Noctis reached the dock, he sat at the edge of the dock as usual, his legs swinging to and fro over the water, his fishing line cast in the water. His heart was racing, his heart telling him that he had genuinely hurt someone. But then he let out a scream as he panicked and fell backwards as the young man popped up out of the water and put his hands on the dock, looking at him with bright and smiling eyes.

“Where were you hiding?!” Noctis asked him as he looked at the beautiful man who was no older than he was. “Under the dock?! I thought I killed you!”

“No,” the young man replied simply, pulling himself up enough on the dock so that he could rest his chin in his hands. “You can’t kill someone from surprising them. Or maybe you can. I’ve never seen it happen before.”

Noctis was baffled. This young man spoke so simply, so fantastically, it felt like he was speaking to someone he had known for years but was from an entirely different planet. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my home,” he replied with a smile. “You’re the one intruding.”

“You live here?” Noctis asked, looking around in disbelief. “Well… What is your name?”

“Prompto,” he replied. There was a splash in the water behind him. “What’s yours?”

“Noctis,” he said. “Why do you live here, Prompto?”

“It’s safe. And I’m cursed. So until I can break the curse, I live here. Are you here to break the curse for me?”

Noctis shook his head. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, I thought so,” Prompto said with a wistful sigh. He looked up at the sky then back to Noctis. “It’s going to rain tomorrow. I guess I won’t see you then.”

Noctis looked up at the bright sky. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen. “How do you know it’s going to rain?”

“You learn these things over time.” Prompto shrugged. “You’re really beautiful, you know. It’s a shame that you’re not here to break the curse.”

“What curse?” Noctis asked him skeptically. That’s when Prompto hoisted himself out of the water, and Noctis nearly flailed and fell backwards. He was bare chested, his freckles spattering his skin like paint. But more than that, he had a long fin and tail in place of legs, shimmering and beautiful. It was pure white with a shimmering of a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors that shifted and refracted in multiple colors as his fin flicked back and forth, hanging off the dock.

“This curse,” Prompto replied. “I’ve been stuck like this for years. There’s only one way to break the curse, but I don’t know what it is. And I’ve been alone for a long time because of it.”

Noctis was temporarily astounded by how beautiful Prompto was, but upon hearing just how alone he was, he made up his mind quickly. “Alright. I’m the prince of Lucis. As such, if there’s a way to break the curse then I’m going to find it. And we’ll turn you back into a human once and for all.”

“Really?!” Prompto asked excitedly. He threw his arms around Noctis’s neck and pulled him into a tight hug, making the prince’s heart race in an anticipation that he couldn’t fully vocalize. “Thank you, prince Noctis!”

“Just call me Noct,” Noctis replied when Prompto let him go. “All my friends do.”

Prompto thought about it for a moment then smiled. “Then I guess you can call me Prom. If I had friends, I imagine they would call me that.”

“Alright, Prom,” Noctis replied with a slight blush on his face. They spent the rest of the time talking to each other, the fishing long forgotten about at this point.

Prompto was right. The next day it rained, so Noctis spent the time in the library, doing whatever research he could on merfolk and curses. It was sparse, most of it found in the children’s section. None of it was helpful, save for one book that his very inquisitive friend, Ignis, found for him. The next day he took it to Prompto, who excitedly read through it then announced it was not helpful at all.

“What do you mean it wasn’t helpful?” Noctis asked, not having bothered to read it thoroughly.

“It’s about a mermaid who gets turned into a human,” Prompto said with a sulk. “Not the other way around. And they took away my memory. I can’t remember who I was, other than my name is Prompto. I wonder if I have a family.”

“I’ll find them for you,” Noctis declared. Thinking about it, Noctis realized that he had heard the name Prompto before. He wondered where. “Please just give me time to find out how to help.”

“Okay,” Prompto said. “In the meantime, the water is warm. Why don’t you come swimming with me?”

Noctis blushed bright red as Prompto jumped into the water. He joined him for a swim, and found that he thoroughly enjoyed his time with Prompto until it was time for him to go back. Then he left Prompto, alone as always, to wait for him the next day. 

This pattern repeated for weeks. Noctis would search for hours in the library of the palace, looking for answers about how to help Prompto or who Prompto was to no avail. He would then spend his time getting as many details as possible from Prompto until they both got tired of the line of questioning. They would then proceed to either spend their time speaking to each other, swimming, or playing. To Noctis’s surprise, there was more than once where he thought that Prompto was flirting with him, and he was apt to flirt with him in return. He found that he liked spending his time with Prompto, and his heart felt a strange tugging sensation he had never quite experienced before.

Eventually, Prompto told Noctis that he should just forget about looking for a way to break the curse altogether. Noctis didn’t like that as a possible outcome of all their effort, but Prompto seemed pretty depressed by that point. He had said that only one other had tried before, a Tenebraean man who ended up just as forlorn and upset as Prompto was now. But Noctis wasn’t giving up, and he buckled down and got to work even harder for him. Prompto was surprised by Noctis’s insistence that he help, but he wasn’t hopeful that it would result in anything. 

One day Noctis showed up and Prompto wasn’t there. He waited and waited until he couldn’t wait anymore, then he went home and tried again the next day. Prompto wasn’t there again. Noctis felt like his heart was being torn to shreds, but he continued to wait for him until he had to go back again. On the third day, Noctis was worried. On the fourth day, Prompto returned, looking tearful and distraught.

“What’s wrong?” Noctis asked him as Prompto stared at him in the water. 

“I got caught in a trap,” Prompto said with a sniffle. He lifted his fin in the air. It was punctured by a hook. “It hurts, Noct.”

“Come here,” Noctis said as Prompto stared at him with tears in his eyes. Prompto whimpered pathetically as he swam to him then shakily pulled himself onto the dock. Prompto collapsed, his back pressed against Noctis’s chest, and Noctis felt a thudding in his heart as he looked at Prompto, so close to him. When Prompto held up his fin, Noctis carefully took out the hook then tore a piece of his shirt and wrapped it up quickly so that the blood didn’t continue to flow. 

“Thank you, Noct,” Prompto said, looking up at him as his fin rested against the dock, bandaged and healing. Noctis thought Prompto felt so warm to him in the sunshine, his tail shimmering like millions of stars or diamonds. He looked down at his long lashes and his beautiful freckles, and Noctis acted before he could think about what he was doing. 

Noctis kissed Prompto, surprising the young merman and himself in the process. But Prompto didn’t back away. Instead, he pressed his pouting lips against Noctis’s more until they were forgetting the world around them and were lost to each other’s lips. When they finally stopped kissing, Noctis expected Prompto to smile at him the same way he was smiling. Instead, Prompto was crying, looking at him as if his heart was broken.

“What’s wrong, Prom?” Noctis asked as Prompto pulled away from his arms. Prompto didn’t say anything as he got in the water. Noctis laid on his stomach on the dock reaching a hand out to caress Prompto’s face as he stared at him tearfully. “Prom… I love you.”

“I love you, Noct,” Prompto said as he pulled away. “I’m sorry. I should never have come.”

“Why?” Noctis said as he called out to him. “Come back, Prom!” 

“If I could find a way to break the curse then we could be together,” Prompto said with a sob. “Instead, we’re doomed to be like this.”

“I’ll find a way,” Noctis called for him, but Prompto was pulling away. “Prom! Please!”

“Goodbye, Noct,” Prompto said. He disappeared into the water before Noctis could stop him. Noctis screamed for him, but Prompto did not resurface, leaving him alone on the docks, sobbing and heartbroken.

Noctis spent the next several weeks coming to the docks and waiting for Prompto. But Prompto never came. Eventually Ignis and Gladio came with him, wondering what he was waiting for, but there was no one waiting for Noctis. Summer turned to fall, and then fall turned to winter, and the first snow of the year brought with it a certain sense of longing that Noctis knew would never be filled by anyone but Prompto.

“Come on, Noct,” Ignis called for him as Noctis stood on the pier, looking at the water that was half frozen. “Emperor Iedolas is waiting for us with his son.”

Noctis let out a sigh, knowing that he had to give up searching for Prompto once and for all. He turned around, pulling his coat close to his body as he tucked his lips in his scarf. It was too cold, and he was too heartbroken to want to be a prince or see to any princely duties. He followed Ignis and Gladio back to the palace, the shining beacon a warm sight for all save Noctis. Nothing was the same without Prompto in his life. Not anymore.

“Son, we must at least pretend to look happy,” Regis commented as Noctis stood in his princely attire next to the throne, waiting for the Emperor of Niflheim to arrive with his son who had suddenly made a reappearance. Some thought the Emperor had locked him away instead of him going missing, but his sudden return surprised them all. Noctis was too heartbroken to feel anything but dread. “I heard his son has been most eagerly awaiting this day. He is very eager to meet you.”

“He’s about to be sorely disappointed,” Noctis muttered as the door to the hall opened and the royal proceeding of Niflheim approached them. They were too far away for Noctis to make out any of their features, save for the blond hair of the Emperor’s son and the fact that they were all dressed in fine robes of white and red. Niflheim and Lucis had been on friendly terms for centuries, so Noctis hoped they wouldn’t take his pouting to be anything more than a prince with bad manners. He looked down at his feet as they approached, too depressed to look them in the eye.

King Regis coughed, trying to gain Noctis’s attention to remember his manners. “Emperor Aldercapt, we are most excited to finally welcome you and your son.”

“King Regis,” Iedolas replied with a smile. Noctis saw the feet of the Emperor’s son shift nervously, and he finally followed his line of sight upwards to the appearance of the prince and future leader of Niflheim. “Might I introduce you to my long lost son, prince Prompto. He has been speaking nothing but the day he might meet prince Noctis on even footing.”

Noctis stared at Prompto with wide eyes as Prompto looked at him with a smile and a blush. He was human again. What had broken the curse? Or had it all been some sort of fever dream that Noctis had hallucinated? He didn’t think it was. He had never so much as seen a portrait of Prompto before.

“It is very nice to meet you, prince Noct,” Prompto said with a secretive smile on his face. “True love’s kiss really does break the spell.”

Regis and Iedolas looked between the two inquisitively, but Noctis didn’t hesitate or care anymore. He was too elated to care about what the others would think. Instead, he pulled Prompto into his arms and kissed him deeply, delighting in the way Prompto crumbled into his touch and kissed him back just as voraciously. They were together again. That’s all Noctis knew and that’s all that mattered.

“Well then,” Regis said as he stared at his son practically making out with the emperor’s son, a mix of darkness and light mingling together to create a supernova. “I suppose we have many years of peace to look forward to.”

“I suppose so,” Iedolas replied with a chuckle. “You know, I almost didn’t believe him when he said your son rescued him and broke the curse that he was put under. I guess this proves it.”

“Hmm… Well they seem to have no etiquette, but it’s not a wholly terrible thing. Son!” Regis called out to Noctis, who turned and looked at them, his face flush with embarrassed excitement while his arms were around Prompto’s waist. Prompto had his hands on Noctis’s chest, just as guilty looking as he stared at the two rulers. “A little decorum.” 

“Sorry, your majesties,” Noctis said, but he didn’t let Prompto go. “He’s the love of my life, you see. I thought I had lost him.”

“Instead he found me,” Prompto said as he stood next to Noctis, gripping his hand tightly and resting his head on his shoulder. “We’re going to rule Eos together.”

“I do not doubt it,” Regis mused with a perplexed laugh. “I do not doubt it at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was very cute to write and I feel like I literally could've turned this into a fully expanded AU. I hope whoever reads this also enjoys it!
> 
> The title is a bit cliche, but this story is literally a cliche and a trope and none of that is bad cause it's fanfiction!


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